Shoe-tree.



a. MURRAY. SHOE TREE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2l, 1915.

1,163,947. Patented De.14,1915.

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Q. Y t n RICHARD MURRAY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE-TREE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patenid Da. 14,- 11915,

Application :filed May 21, 1915. Serial No. 29,465.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RICHARD MURRAr, a citizen ofthe United States, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Trees, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to whcih it'appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shoe trees, and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class, the front or toe portion of which may be expanded laterally in order to stretch the corresponding part of the shoe and provide room for the toes; and with this object in view the invention consists in a device of the class specified, constructed and operated as hereinafter described and claimed. The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which'the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure l is a plan view of my improved shoe tree with part of the construction broken away and indicating the method'of operation; Fig. 2 a. sectional side view thereof; and F ig. 3 a detail view partially in section of an expanding device which employ.

In the practice of my invention, I provide a shoe tree a divided transversely at a2 to form a heel portion b and a toe portion c, and the toe portion c is divided longitudinally to form a main inner part 02 and a supplemental outer side part c3. The outer side part c3 is on the outer side of the tree, or the toe portion thereof, and is separated from the inner part 02 in or by a vertical plane c* passing longitudinally through said toe portion and diverging backwardly to the rear end of the toe portion c at which point the outer side part 03 and the inner side part c2 are hinged together at d, the hinge consisting of a shorter plate Z2 and a longer plate (Z3, said plates being` secured respectively to the parts c2 and c3 by means of screws Z4 or in any other suitable manner.

The rear end of the parts c3 is beveled as shown at c5 and the inner face thereof is provided, preferably, slightly forward of the transverse middle thereof with a recess c having a front beveled or inclined wall 07 and the hinged plate da which is hinged to the parts c3 of the toe portion of the tree overlaps the recess c, or the rear end portion thereof.

Formed in the rear end of the part c2 of the toe portion of the tree is a conical recess e having a forward extension e2, and forwardlyV of the extension e2 of the recess e the part c2 is provided with a longitudinal bore 7 which communicates with the eXtension e2 of the recess e at its rear end and the front end portion of which opens through the inner face of the part c2 and communicates with the recess c6, and mounted in the bore f is a longitudinally movable lock and spreader device g provided at its rear end with a threaded stem g2 which passes through the extension e2 of the recess e, and at its front or outer end with a head g3 provided with a l/-shaped prong g4 which enters the recess c" and the end wall g5 of which is beveled to correspond with the beveled front wall c7 of the recess 0G.

In the construction shown, the stem g2 of the lock device and spreader g is enlarged adjacent to the head g3 thereof as shown at g, to form a shoulder 97 and the outer wall of the bore j is similarly formed and provided with a corresponding shoulder f2.

rlhe threaded end of the stem g2 of the lock device and spreader g is provided with a cylindrical head 7L which is tubular in form and provided with an interior thread and adapted to be screwed onto the stem g2, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The front part of the heel portion Y) of the tree and the rear part of the toe por tion c, or the inner side part c2 thereof are provided with longitudinal recesses i in which is placed a link device j pivoted to both of said parts as shown at ,42, and the heel portion is provided with a handle it which is secured thereto, or to the top thereof, or connected therewith in any desired manner.

With the parts of my improved tree in the position shown in full lines in Fig. l, the said tree may be used in the Same manner as other devices of this class and may be inserted into, or removed from the shoe when* ever desired, but when it is desired to spread the toe portion of the slice on the outer side thereof, the heel portion of the tree is raised and the toe portion is inserted into the shoe and the head 7L of the stern g2 of the lock device and spreader g is turned so as to withdraw said head partially from llO Ars* buffs said stem and so that said head will project beyond the rear end of the toe portion c of the tree, after which the heel portion of the tree is forced downwardly into the shoe, and in this operation said heel portion bears on the head z, and forces the lock device and -spreader g forwardly, and this operation forces the part c3 of the toe portion of the tree outwardly, as indicated in dotted lines'in Fig. 1, and this stretches the toe portion of the shoe, as will be readily understood, and when said toe portion of the shoe has been stretched sufiiciently the heel portion of the tree is raised and the head of the stem g2 of the spreader and lock device is turned in the opposite direction, and this draws the part c3 of the toe portion of the'tree inwardly into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, after which the tree may be easily removed from the shoe in the usual manner.

When the parts are in position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the head g3 of the lock device and spreader g secures and holds the part 03 closely adjacent to the part 02 of the toe portion of the tree, and in this operation it engages the front end of the hinge plate cl3, and while I have shown and described the construction which I prefer my invention is not limited to the exact details thereof, herein shown and described, and various changes therein and modifications thereof, may be made, within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A shoe tree divided transversely into toe. and heel portions the adjacent ends of which are loosely connected at the top thereof, said toe portion being divided longitudinally into outer and inner side por-v thereof, the toe portion being divided longitudinally into outer and inner side portions which are hinged together at their rear ends, and a` lock devicevand spreader movable longitudinally through one of said side portions and adapted to engage theY other, that side portion inwhich the lock device and spreader is movable being provided at its rear end with a recess and said lock device and spreader with a stem which passes into said recess and is provided with a head on which the heel portion when in a horizontal position is adapted to bear.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 19th day of May, 1915. Y

j RICHARD MURRAY.`

Witnesses:

C. MUHEANY, VI-I. THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

